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UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES
This report is protected under the provisions of
ST/SGB/273, paragraph 18, of 7 September 1994"
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
OFFICE OF INTERNAL OVERSIGHT SERVICES
INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION
REDACTED
REPORT OF INVESTIGATION
ID CASE NOs. 0593/03
23 August 2004
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REPORT INTO DIVULGING OFFICIAL INFORMATION TO PERSONS EXTERNAL TO THE
ORGANIZATION WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION
ID CASE NO. 0593/03
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Page No.
I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................... 3
II. APPLICABLE LAW ................................................... 3
III. METHODOLOGY ............................................................ 3
IV. BACKGROUND INFORMATION .................................... 4
V. INVESTIGATIVE DETAILS ....................................... 4
a. Unauthorized Submission of the Minutes of the Senior
Management Team (SMT) by the staff member to the
concerned individual 4
b. Email sent to British Prime Minister with an
attachment on allegations of Sexual Harassment
forwarded by the staff member to the concerned individual 5
c. Email sent to President Bush on 26 January 2003
forwarded by the staff member to the concerned individual
on 27 January 2003 6
d. Email sent to a "Mr. James Bruce" by the staff member
On 20 January 2003 7
e. Email with an attached "Letter to Nelson Mandela,
Kofi Annan and Meles Zenawi" sent to the concerned
individual by the staff member on 1 August 2003 7
f. "ECA Today" � A document dated 3 September 2003 and
presented by the concerned individual to
representatives of African Governments in Addis Ababa 8
g. Responses by the concerned individual when interviewed
by OIOS 9
h. Responses made by the staff member when interviewed
by OIOS 9
VI. EVIDENCE, FINDINGS OF FACT ................................. 10
VII. CONCLUSION ..................................................................... 11
VIII. RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................... 12
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I. INTRODUCTION
1. The Investigations Division of the Office of Internal
Oversight Services (OIOS) received a number of emails that were
sent to persons external to the Organization. The emails
alleged that there were malpractices that were committed at the
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) but no action was taken.
One of the alleged authors of the said emails works at the
Sustainable Development Division, ECA.
2. Consequently, an investigation was conducted that indicated
that contrary to UN Rules and Regulations, a staff member
communicated official UN matters without authorization to a
concerned individual and other persons outside the Organization.
II. APPLICABLE LAW
3. In accordance with Regulation 1.2 (i) of the Staff
Regulations, "Staff members shall exercise the utmost discretion
with regard to all matters of official business. They shall not
communicate to any Government, entity, person or any other
source any information known to them by reason of their official
position that they know or ought to have known has not been made
public, except as appropriate in the normal course of their
duties or by authorization of the Secretary-General. These
obligations do not cease upon separation from service".
4. Regulation 1.2 (e) of the Staff Regulations provides that
"By accepting appointment, staff members pledge themselves to
discharge their functions and regulate their conduct with the
interests of the Organization only in view. Loyalty to the
aims, principles and purposes of the United Nations, as set
forth in its Charter, is a fundamental obligation of all staff
members by virtue of their status as international civil
servants."
III. METHODOLOGY
5. OIOS investigation of this matter entailed obtaining and
analyzing relevant documents and interviewing staff members
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including the concerned staff member. A telephone interview was
also conducted with the concerned individual.
IV. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
6. The staff member started working for ECA in October 1992
and is currently a Team Leader at the Sustainable Development
Division. He is at the P5 level.
7. The concerned individual was an ECA staff member and her
services with the Organization were terminated on 12 March 2002.
She was at the P3 level.
V. INVESTIGATIVE DETAILS
a. Unauthorized Submission of the Minutes of the Senior
Management Team (SMT) by the staff member to the concerned
individual
8. On 5 August 2003, the staff member was a participant at the
Senior Management Team Meeting (SMT) that was held at the
Operations Room, ECA. Subsequently, on 13 August 2003, along
with the other participants, he received via email the draft
minutes of the meeting for his comments from Mr. Ali Todaro,
Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary. In the same
email, Mr. Todaro also sent to the staff member the final
version of the minutes of the SMT that was convened on 29 July
2003.
9. The two SMT minutes contained matters of official UN
business such as status of programmes implementation, budget,
management and corporate responsibility/accountability issues,
recruitment, trade, debt and food sustainability issues in
Africa.
10. On 16 August 2003, through a hotmail email address, the
staff member without the authorization of ECA management sent
the said SMT minutes to the concerned individual. As indicated
above, the concerned individual was not a staff member at the
time of submission of the SMT minutes by the staff member as she
had ceased working for the UN on 12 March 2002.
11. During interviews with OIOS, Mr. Todaro confirmed that he
had sent through email the minutes in question to the staff
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member. He also stated that the staff member was one of the
participants in the SMT meeting held on 5 August 2003.
12. When he was interviewed by OIOS, the staff member was shown
an email dated 16 August 2003 that he had sent to the concerned
individual. He was also shown an email dated 13 August 2003
that had been sent to him and other participants by Mr. Todaro
forwarding minutes of the SMT meetings that were held on 29 July
and 5 August 2003. When he was asked by OIOS why he sent the
minutes to the concerned individual, a person external to the
Organization, his response was that he merely had sent the
minutes to the concerned individual for her information. The
concerned individual was asked to confirm whether she had
received the said minutes but declined to answer the question.
b. Email sent to British Prime Minister with an attachment on
allegations of Sexual Harassment forwarded by the staff member
to the concerned individual
13. On 19 February 2003, an anonymous email was sent to the
British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair by "hiwot abebe". The
subject of the email was "United Nations or United Devils????".
The email was copied to the staff member and several other ECA
and UN Headquarters officials. One of the recipients was the
Executive Secretary of ECA. Attached to the email was also a
document titled "Sexual Harassment".
14. The contents of the email that was addressed to Mr. Blair
alleged that the Executive Secretary and his management team
were involved in illegal activities at ECA. The letter alleged
that the Rules and Regulations of the Organization had been
violated in areas such as recruitment and that theft was rampant
in ECA. The author, therefore, appealed to Mr. Blair to contact
the British Permanent Representative to the UN and the Prime
Minister of Ethiopia to intervene on behalf of the aggrieved
victims. The letter was purported to have been written by
"Women from ECA".
15. The attached document sent to Mr. Blair alleged that there
were criminal activities perpetrated at ECA including acts of
sexual harassment but no action was taken by the management.
For instance, it was alleged that Mr. Todaro sexually abused
women staff members of ECA when they approached him for
assistance.
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16. On 22 February 2003, the email and the attached sexual
harassment allegation documents sent to Mr. Blair were forwarded
by the staff member to the concerned individual through her
hotmail address. When the staff member was interviewed by OIOS,
he identified the email and the attachments and confirmed
forwarding the same to the concerned individual. When the staff
member was told that it was contrary to UN rules to communicate
such matters to persons external to the Organization, he said
that he was forwarding the same to the concerned individual just
for her information. He added that he and the concerned
individual who had worked for the UN for 30 years were fighting
for justice in the UN System and should stand together including
sharing of such information. Again, when she was asked whether
she received emails on ECA matters from the staff member in
2003, the concerned individual refused to answer the question
adding that she had ceased working for the Organization.
17. The sexual harassment allegations leveled against the
management of ECA were investigated by OIOS late last year and
early this year. During interviews with OIOS, Mr. Todaro denied
sexually harassing women staff members at ECA as alleged in the
anonymous emails. An allegation of sexual harassment made by
one of the victims named in the anonymous letters was
investigated. It was found that there was insufficient evidence
to support the allegation of sexual harassment. (See OIOS
Report of Case No.0594/03 issued on 27 July 2004)
c. Email sent to President Bush on 26 January 2003 forwarded by
the staff member to the concerned individual on 27 January 2003
18. On 26 January 2003, an anonymous person, namely "Hiwot
Abebe" sent an email to the President and Vice-President of the
United States of America. The email was also addressed to
Senator John Kerry and Senator Dodd of the United States
Government. Along with other staff members, the email and the
attachment were also copied to the staff member.
19. The email had an attachment that was addressed to the
Executive Secretary of ECA and highlighted allegations of sexual
harassment and rape perpetrated by some senior officials of ECA
within the ECA Complex. The document was also copied to the
Secretary-General, Ethiopian Foreign Ministry and senior
officials in the UN System.
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20. "Abebe's" complaint to the American Government was that the
Executive Secretary, ECA had failed to take action against staff
members who were alleged to have committed criminal acts such as
sexual harassment of women staff members of ECA. "Abebe" was
therefore appealing to the American Government to intervene on
behalf of the victims. (See OIOS Report of Case No.0594/03
issued on 27 July 2004)
21. On 27 January 2003, the staff member forwarded the email
and the attachment that he had received from "Abebe" to the
concerned individual and a number of ECA staff members. During
interviews with OIOS, The staff member was shown the email and
the attachment that he forwarded to the concerned individual and
others on 27 January 2003. He confirmed forwarding the same to
them. He was asked whether he knew the author of the email and
the attached documents and his response was that he did not know
who "Abebe" was. When he was asked whether he was aware that
the said "Abebe" was communicating to the American Government on
ECA matters, his reply was that he had seen the contents and had
decided to forward the same to the concerned individual and
others for their information.
d. Email sent to a "Mr. James Bruce" by the staff member on
20 January 2003
22. On 20 January 2003, the staff member sent an email through
a yahoo address to a "Mr. James Bruce" and copied the same to a
number of ECA staff members. In the email, the staff member
alleged that the Executive Secretary was involved in cases of
serious abuses of human rights at ECA. He alleged that the
Executive Secretary was inciting Ethiopian State Security to
harass ECA staff members.
23. Subsequently, on 22 January 2003 the staff member sent
another email to the concerned individual through her hotmail
address and told her that "The auditors are here. Just remove
the e-mail part so that names are not seen. I will call. Bruce
is not known it is a fake name. Some of the accusations are
wild and should be taken carefully."
24. When the staff member was interviewed by OIOS, he was shown
the emails that he sent to "Mr. James Bruce" and the concerned
individual. He was asked whether he knew "Mr. James Bruce" and
his response was that he did not know the person. When asked
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why he sent an email to a person whom he did not know, his
response was only that the UN justice system had failed him.
e. Email with an attached "Letter to Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan
and Meles Zenawi" sent to the concerned individual by the staff
member on 1 August 2003.
25. On 27 July 2003, a ten-page document, "CRY.DOC", subject -
"Letter to Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan and Meles Zenawi" was sent
to several ECA staff members, including the staff member by an
anonymous person, "okacha abanjo". The letter alleged in part
that "the Executive Secretary has violated human rights and that
his disappointing managerial performance and leadership quality
has led to lack of transparency and absence of the rule of law."
In the letter, it was alleged that "UNECA best brains, voices of
reason and moderation are either rotting in Amoako's mental
prisons or are driven out from ECA into exile".
26. The letter further alleged that the Executive Secretary is
blackmailing managers and that he paid a syndicate $20,000 to
assassinate and poison certain ECA staff members. The letter
stated that "One can conclude that UNECA is now turning into a
thuggish little leadership enclave. ECA managers demote
talented staff, discredit and rape the women". "---That UNECA
managers have treated their staff with contempt, disrespect and
used them to satisfy their sexual whims-----".
27. Portions of the said letter alleged that "---Mr. Amoako is
currently employing ambassador's sons, daughters, wives,
relatives as well as paying huge amounts of money to lobbyists
who facilitate an award such as an Honorary Doctorate Degree in
Addis Ababa to beat down its staff into submission and to get
public respect at the expense of the victimized Africans who
live like fish out of water under his administration---".
28. On 1 August 2003, the staff member submitted the letter
with the "CRY.DOC" attachment to the concerned individual
through her hotmail address.
f. "ECA Today" � A document dated 3 September 2003 and presented
by the concerned individual to representatives of African
Governments in Addis Ababa
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29. The concerned individual presented an eighteen-page
document titled "ECA Today � the true story of ECA today" to
representatives of African Governments for submission to their
home governments. The concerned individual wrote the document
in September 2003, one and half years after she was separated
from the Organization. She gave her address on the document.
30. In the document, the concerned individual alleged that Mr.
Amoako was restructuring ECA, without ECA staff input and that
he was hardly ever at the ECA in Addis Ababa. In this
connection she attached a copy of an Audit of the ECA dated 25
April 1997 � Travel of the Executive Secretary. She described
Mr. Amoako as a person who engages himself in double-dealings,
and is arrogant, callous, cruel and intellectually dishonest.
31. Further, the concerned individual alleged that Mr. Amoako
dismissed all directors of divisions and replaced them with
handpicked outsiders, some of whom had police records in their
home countries. She said that this was in absolute disregard of
UN Rules and Regulations with the connivance of the then
USG/DAM, Mr. Joseph Connor and Ms. Rafia Salim, former ASG/OHRM.
She stated that Mr. K. Y. Amoako had very good reward systems
for all those who are loyal to him, including promoting them to
posts to which they were not entitled and other monetary
incentives, including sending them on missions to cover
programmes, none in which they had the expertise.
32. The concerned individual alleged that Mr. Amoako refused to
fill the post of the Chief of Security because he wanted someone
he could continue to use criminally to intimidate the staff and
carry out other criminal activities. She stated that Mr. Amoako
aspired to head the African Development Bank (ADB) so as also to
bring that African institution to its knees and that he has
already started promoting his image.
g. Responses by the concerned individual when interviewed by
OIOS
33. When OIOS Investigators interviewed the concerned
individual through telephone, she said that she had ceased
working for the Organization and therefore had nothing to do
with it. However, she was asked whether she received emails on
ECA matters from the staff member in the year 2003 and her
response was that she did not have time to answer such
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questions, as she was a busy person. She further told the
Investigators that the emails problem is not her problem.
34. The concerned individual was also requested to confirm
whether she was the author of the document "ECA Today" that she
submitted in September 2003 to Representatives of African
Governments in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She again reiterated that
she did not have time to reply to the question and asked the
Investigators not to call her again in future and terminated the
conversation.
h. Responses by the staff member when interviewed by OIOS
35. During interviews with OIOS on the emails he had sent, the
staff member informed OIOS that he was unhappy with the
management of ECA because his eight applications for promotion
to the post of Director 1 were all rejected. He further said
that he was fighting for the injustices caused by the management
to the staff members. He said that they had formed a group
whose aim is to fight the management. He alleged that the
management of ECA would be happy to remove him as he was
considered a hindrance to the achievement of the goals of the
Executive Secretary. He alleged that the Executive Secretary
brought with him the World Bank thinking to the African
Development process � a view he did not share. In conclusion,
he was asked whether he was aware that communication of official
matters with persons outside the Organization is not allowed and
he replied that he is aware that it is a contravention of the
Charter of the United Nations.
VI. EVIDENCE, FINDINGS OF FACT
36. Staff Regulation 1.2 (i) stipulates that staff members are
not allowed to communicate official information with persons
outside the Organization without authorization by the Secretary
General. Evidence gathered and presented in this report
indicates that the staff member divulged official information
without authorization to persons external to the Organization.
37. The staff member communicated official Senior Management
Team Minutes to the concerned individual without authority when
the latter had separated from the Organization. He did not
inform ECA management about the communication, arguing that he
and the concerned individual who had worked for the UN for 30
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years were fighting injustices at the UN System and should stand
together including sharing of official information.
38. Email messages sent to the concerned individual and other
persons outside the Organization by the staff member is a
contravention of the above Staff Regulation. The staff member
knew that his actions were a contravention of the Staff
Regulations as confirmed by his response during his interview
with OIOS. He informed OIOS that he was aware that
communicating official matters with persons outside the
Organization is a contravention of the Charter of the United
Nations.
39. Further, Regulation 1.2 (e) of the Staff Regulations
provides that "By accepting appointment, staff members pledge
themselves to discharge their functions and regulate their
conduct with the interests of the Organization only in view.
Loyalty to the aims, principles and purposes of the United
Nations, as set forth in its Charter, is a fundamental
obligation of all staff members by virtue of their status as
international civil servants."
40. The staff member told OIOS that he was discontented with
the managerial style of ECA. In addition, he stated that he was
dissatisfied for not being promoted to a Director 1 position and
therefore was a member of a group of staff members formed solely
to fight the management of ECA. Emails sent to the concerned
individual corroborates the evidence that the staff member
failed to regulate his conduct and that he did not hold the
interests of the Organization in view but was angry about not
being promoted. For instance, in his email that he sent the
concerned individual on 22 January 2003, the staff member gives
evidence that he knew that his actions were a violation of the
Staff Regulations. At the time, he told the concerned
individual "The auditors are here. Just remove the e-mail part
so that names are not seen. I will call. Bruce is not known it
is a fake name. Some of the accusations are wild and should be
taken carefully."
41. In conclusion, after the concerned individual left the
Organization, she engaged herself in a smear campaign to tarnish
the image and name of the Executive Secretary. This is
evidenced by the document that she presented to the
representatives of African Governments for submission to their
home governments headlined "ECA Today � the true story of ECA
today". Her action contravenes Regulation 1.2(i) of the Staff
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Regulations that states, "Staff members shall exercise the
utmost discretion with regard to all matters of official
business. They shall not communicate to any Government, entity,
person or any other source any information known to them by
reason of their official position that they know or ought to
have known has not been made public, except as appropriate in
the normal course of their duties or by authorization of the
Secretary-General. These obligations do not cease upon
separation from service". Though she left the Organization, she
had an obligation not to divulge official information without
authorization.
VII. CONCLUSION
42. In light of the above findings, it is evident that the
staff member contravened Regulations 1.2 (e) and (i) of the
Staff Regulations. The staff member disseminated matters of
official business that he knew were not to be made public
without authorization from the Secretary-General to The
concerned individual who had ceased to be a staff member and
other persons external to the Organization. On her part, the
concerned individual without authorization communicated official
ECA matters as evidenced in the document that she presented to
the representatives of African Governments for submission to
their home countries. This too was a violation of Regulation
1.2(i) of the Staff Regulations.
VIII. RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation 1
43. It is recommended that appropriate action be taken against the
staff member for actions which indicate violations of Staff
Regulation 1.2 (e) and (i); (ID Rec. No. IV03/593/01).
Recommendation 2
44. It is further recommended that the Office of Legal Affairs
(OLA) consider taking appropriate action against the concerned
individual including taking a civil suit for damage caused to the
Organization by her smear campaign, and sending a cease and desist
letter pointing out that though separated from the Organization she
has an obligation not to disseminate official UN information as
provided for in Regulation 1.2(i) of the Staff Regulations. (ID
Rec. No. IV03/593/02)
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